2021-03-31-accounts - Bethel Apostolic Church Of Jesus Christ Bristol CIO

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Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic Bristol

Trustees Report and Final Statement

For Financial Year Ending

31st March 2021

Charity Number: 1165866

Page Contents

Page Index 2

Reference and Administrative details 3-4

Structure, Governance and Management 5

Trustees Report Financial Review 6-11

Auditor’s Financial Report Appendix 1

Bethel United Church Bristol Reference and Administrative details of Charity

Charity Registered Number: 1165866

Registered Trustees:

Mr Neville Levy (Chair) Mr Rohan Smith (Vice-Chair) Ms Lorna Tucker (Vice-Chair) Mrs Sharon Miller (Treasurer) Mr Trevor Simpson (Vice-Treasurer) Mr Michael Earle (Trustee)

The two young Board Trainees have been inactive on the committee, therefore are no longer members.

Charity Address: 254a Church Road St George Bristol BS5 8AF Landline number: 0117 9393374 Mobile number: 07814765887

Email: connect@bethelchurchbristol.org Website: www.bethelchurchbristol.org

Bethel United Church Bristol

Auditor: Head Office: Easy Accounts &Tax Ground Floor Ascot Court White Horse Business Park Trowbridge BA14 0XE Bristol Office: Temple Quay Bristol BS1 6PN

Bank: Lloyds Bank PLC 102 Regent Street Kingswood Bristol BS15 8HT

Solicitors: To be appointed

Previous: Anthony Collins Solicitors 34 Edmund Street Birmingham B3 2ES

Bethel United Church Bristol Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document: Constitution

Charity is constituted by: CIO

The Charity is affiliated to Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic UK whose headquarters is based at Bethel Convention Centre, Kelvin Way, West Bromwich and has over 40 church assemblies over England and Wales. We continue under the leadership of Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic UK and the National Ecclesiastical Council (NEC).

We continue our monthly 10% contribute towards the Bethel Convention Centre to assist paying off the existing loan and its daily running costs.

Trustees are voted in by the membership of the church for a 3- year term. Trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the charity and receive no renumeration or other financial benefit for their time volunteered.

The Trustee Board meet at least 6 times a year to discuss management of the building, meeting the vision and objectives of the Lead Minister, to set departmental budgets, review the charity finances and highlight any potential concerns. Minutes are recorded of these meetings.

Bethel Bristol heads and supports seven other churches within the South West District of churches: Gloucester, Trowbridge, Swindon, Cardiff, Newport, Southampton and Agape Faith Fellowship an additional ministry in Bristol.

The charity’s main objective is to continue promoting and advancing the Christian faith in Bristol and wider community, to be a beacon of light, providing a safe haven for all to find support and counselling.

Bethel United Church Bristol Trustees Report Year ending 31st March 2021

The Board of Trustees of Bristol United Church CIO have been very active, productive, and have successfully completed most goals set for the 2020-2021 financial year. Like many others we have had to face unique challenges that Covid-19 has thrown at us; lockdowns, churches open/closed, social distancing, ventilating, face coverings, hand sanitising, etc, etc.

Thanks be to God for bringing us through these different times where we have had to learn new ways of delivering ministry including; using Zoom/YouTube platforms.

Thank you to the dedicated Trustee Board members and appreciation for the hard work you have put in to ensure this charity remains a viable concern.

Many thanks for all donations received from the hands of members, visitors and friends, without your contributions and voluntary support this year, we would have experienced more challenging times. Thank you. We have been monitoring our financial status and

have identified a decline in contributions this year. This has been closely monitored and appropriate action will be taken if/when we need to.

Policies

To oversee our ministry operations Bethel Bristol has in place robust policy and procedures that are reviewed and added to as the circumstances change. We are following the Bethel United Church National Covid policy in order to be a Covid safe environment.

Bethel United Church Bristol Safeguarding

Bishop Designate Nathan Simmonds is Bethel United Church National Safeguarding Lead working with the National Safeguarding Team. The National Safeguarding policy has been updated and will be shared with all the district churches including Bristol Bethel. We have a local Safeguarding Lead who oversees local issues along with a small team who are responsible for overseeing the Safeguarding Policy, updating and training members of current best and safe practice. We use 31:8 to undertake the appropriate DBS checks on all who are engaged in ministry.

Risk Register

Our Risk Manager undertakes annual Health and Safety Risk assessments on the site and reviews any incidences reported or discovered and advises on an appropriate course of action.

Fire Risk Assessment

The annual Fire Risk assessment and service was not completed during this period due to Covid -19 Lockdown restrictions. The action plan from 2019/20 report is still being worked on.

Activities and achievements

The ministry team of Bethel Church Bristol; Assistant Pastor, Elder, Ministers, Deacons, Ushers, Director of Ministry Operations, Administration Team under the leadership of our Bishop continue to work in partnership to oversee and develop the ministry in the South West District, continuing with the vision to grow the church in Bristol and surrounding districts. We have had to pause all external ministries with the local HMP’s, Nursing Homes and private home prayer ministry, including hospital visits. Congregational Care Ministry have adapted by utilising the tablet devices and maintaining regular phone contact with our Treasured Saints (Senior Members).

Bethel United Church Bristol

Middle 2020. In preparation of exiting ‘Lockdown’ we had to introduce a Covid policy to manage the church environment and make it Covid safe. We purchased hand sanitising units, sprays, surgical face masks, gloves, signage, introduced a one-way system and social spacing. Our Director of Ministry Operations oversaw these measures.

Sept 2020. During the Covid restrictions all our services were moved to remote access via Zoom and YouTube platforms. This was very successful in keeping not just our church community connected, but also our families and friends network connected to the ministry.

Families who were vulnerable or in need were identified and referred to Children and Family Services for support in regard to families with young people needing food parcels.

Oct 2020. We donated a sum of cash to a local church partners food programme to support their food bank. We also contributed to Cancer Research and Royalty Kids Christmas Box appeal for overseas children.

Dec 2020. We distributed approximately 70 Christmas Hampers to various families across the city of Bristol.

Jan 2021. We purchased 10 tablets to distribute to our Treasured Saints and Sunday School pupils to enable them to access online Services/Sunday school.

Feb 2021. We received a donation of face masks, hand sanitiser bottles, disposable/examination gloves and sanitised wipes, which was gratefully received.

Bethel United Church Bristol

Ongoing Community Service

During this period, we were able to continue serving our community by conducting weddings, funerals, baptisms, baby blessings under social distancing conditions, Sunday school online and off-site at Malcolm X Community Centre in St Pauls. Our youth clubs ceased to meet and a decision for the re-launch has to be decided.

Estate

Owing to ongoing issues with the roof of the adjoining properties on Salisbury Street we commissioned a roofing company to carry out repairs to both roofs. This work is still to be completed. We also had to replace two boilers in the rented properties. And after a long period, the empty shop as we call it next door was leased to a business making all rental properties occupied. Property Wise continue to manage all the properties and will also be managing the property bequeathed to the church by the late Pastor Swaby when they are instructed to do so.

We continue to rent the remote Manse in Downend for Bishop and Lady Edmund; there was an uplift in rent which increased to £1010.00 per calendar month. Property Wise manage this contract.

This year we switched our utility provider from British Gas to Utility Warehouse to reduce our bills. As we discovered during the latter part of 2021 there arose a crisis in the utility industry and we will be monitoring the situation to ensure we are getting the best deal available.

Bethel United Church Bristol

Financial Review

As mentioned earlier we have identified a down-turn in donations to the charity; this we partially apportion to many Treasured Saints not being able to attend face to face worship where they would give cash and not having access to online banking, but this is not the sole reason. The Board has been monitoring the budget and due to the current situation and us falling beneath our reserve level are putting together a plan to reduce expenditure where we can. Bethel Church was gifted through Pastor Delroy Swaby’s Will his entire estate, which has now had Probate concluded and funds received to the sum of £70,863.52; this doesn’t include the property aforementioned. A portion of these funds will be ring-fenced to be used to fund specific future projects under this ministry.

The charity is reliant on the continued donations of the congregants, friends and community via voluntary tithes and offerings.

Due to the down turn in monetary contributions it has been decided to carry out a review of all expenditure, including stipends.

We retain the employment of our cleaner on a zero-hour contract at a rate of £10 per hour.

Refer to auditor’s report for further details of our financial statement.

We scheduled an AGM to be held on 09/03/22 before the end of this financial year.

Bethel United Church Bristol

Future Plans

In light of the continued impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the charity we will continue to monitor closely any potential financial risks, balancing income against expenditure to ensure we remain a viable concern, putting an action plan together to return to the agreed reserve level.
We will continue to support our newest ministry Agape Faith Fellowship operating in the Lyde Green Community and support the South West District of churches as well as St Pauls Sunday School.
We will continue to provide remote access to our services and Sunday school via Zoom and YouTube.
Purchase a headstone for the late Pastor Swaby burial plot.
Review and attribute appropriate budgets for our departmental ministries.
Review how we will resolve and finance our Music Ministry.

This report has been approved by order of the members of the Board of Trustees on 19/01/2022 and signed on their behalf by:

Mr Neville Levy Chairperson Bethel Bristol Board of Trustees

Bethel United Church Bristol

Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2021

Incoming resources

Incoming resources from generated funds:

Donations Incoming resources from charitable activities and other trading Total incoming resources Resources expended Charitable activities: Total resources expended Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward 67,551 Total Funds Carry Forward Balance Sheet At 31 March 2021 Fixed Assets Tangible Assets Current Assets Cash Debtors Total Assets Current Liabilities Total resources expended Total Charity Funds Carry Forward Approved by Chairperson, Neville Levy on 31stJan,		Total 2021 90,526 20,545
		111,071
		111,142
		111,142

		66,627
		Total 2021 - 60,537 11,000
		71,537
		(4,911)
	66,627 66,627 2022	66,627
		66,627